This invention relates to a patrol boat and more particularly to an improved watercraft that is designed for facilitating at sea rescue.
There is a need for a type of watercraft that is particularly useful in rescuing individuals at sea. Such a watercraft should be constructed in such a way as to permit high speed operation and yet be capable of easily moving an injured person from the body of water onto the watercraft for treatment and rescue purposes. The construction should be such that the individual can be conveniently moved from the body of water onto the deck of the watercraft with the minimum amount of disturbance to his body to avoid aggravating injuries.
It is, therefore, a principal object to this invention provide an improved rescue type of boat having a deck which is substantially flush with the water level for facilitating transportation of an injured person from the water onto the deck.
It is a further object to this invention to provide an improved deck arrangement for such a watercraft that will accommodate transfer of injured persons to the deck and which will also permit the injured person to recline on the deck and receive emergency treatment there, if desirable.
In some regards it also is desirable to provide a way in which the injured person may be easily transferred onto the deck and it is a further object to this invention to provide an improved arrangement for permitting an injured person to be drawn onto the deck from the body of water in which the person is floating.
In connection with this type of watercraft, it is very desirable if the deck can be positioned at the rear of the watercraft so that the injured person may be easily transferred to the deck. However, with conventional types of propulsion devices, such a rear deck position is not always possible.
It is, therefore, a still further object to this invention to provide an improved rescue boat propelled by jet propulsion units so as to facilitate a low rear deck onto which injured persons may be readily transferred from the body of water in which the watercraft is operating.